NationsBenefits has announced a new retail network integration with Harps Food Stores, an employee-owned supermarket chain with stores in Arkansas, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma and Tennessee.
Through the integration, eligible health plan members can use their NationsBenefits Mastercard Prepaid Flex Cards at more than 160 Harps locations to buy approved food-as-medicine items, OTC health and wellness products and other items.
Technology enables real-time benefit validation
Retail acceptance is enabled through NationsBenefits’ Basket Analyzer Service (BAS), which provides real-time, item-level benefit validation at checkout.
The company said this technology eliminates manual claims and reimbursement delays, providing a frictionless shopping experience for members at their local hometown grocer.
“We are committed to bridging the gap between healthcare and retail by making healthy choices the easiest choices for members,” said Michael Parker, co-CEO at NationsBenefits.
“By partnering with Harps, we are expanding our healthcare fintech footprint into the heart of the Mid-South, ensuring that members in both rural and urban areas can use their benefits instantly for the nutrition and wellness products they need to thrive.”
Addressing food insecurity
Harps serves a diverse footprint across the Mid-South and Ozark regions, where rural access to nutritious food remains a challenge.
According to recent data from the Arkansas Health Survey cited in the announcement, 28.8 percent of adult Arkansans in rural and urban areas face food insecurity, a rate much higher than the national average.
When people lack consistent access to healthy food, they are more likely to struggle with chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart disease, which are prevalent in underserved census tracts within Harps’ service area.
“Integrating the NationsBenefits platform allows us to better support our customers’ health journeys,” said Mark Pierce, director of store systems from Harps.
“We are proud to offer this technology that makes it easier for Medicare Advantage and Medicaid members to access essential groceries and health items in their hometowns.”
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